Image of Vinehall School buildings and grounds

WHAT? WHERE?

Just off the A21 near the East Sussex town of Robertsbridge sits Vinehall, a co-ed day and boarding school for children aged 2-13. The self-contained, 47-acre campus has the feel of a nurturing, child-friendly village, behind which stretches out an equally child-friendly paradise of woodland, parkland, sports pitches and breath-taking views.

With 220 pupils on roll (very evenly split between boys and girls) there’s no shortage of space and individual attention here, but there’s also no shortage of opportunities. Now a part of the Repton Family of Schools, Vinehall combines a strongly independent ethos with the security of the backing of a global group.

FACILITIES

A cluster of smart-looking buildings sit around the central 19^th century country house that was once a private home, and the overall vibe is welcoming rather than imposing.

Nursery and Pre-Prep are housed in their own purpose-built centre (more on this below). In the heart of the Prep, the main academic classrooms are found around a central, striking atrium which houses a well-stocked library, creating a hub for learning, and lead on into the charming lunch hall which overlooks the gorgeous grounds.

Elsewhere, there’s a suite of art, design, technology and computing rooms which bring together the creative and the technological. Sports facilities include a huge sports hall, indoor heated swimming pool and pitches aplenty, plus there’s a theatre, science labs and a quirky little children’s chapel (below).

The outdoor space is well-used both for work and play, and incorporates woodlands, a mountain bike track, an outdoor classroom, a lake – oh and a golf course. Vinehall has quite the horticultural tradition, and dotted about are raised beds for growing fresh fruit and veg, and even an orchard.

SPORT

Pupils have the benefit of a huge flood-lit, all-weather Astro-turf pitch for hockey, six flood-lit courts for tennis and netball, playing fields for rugby and football, a cricket pitch, a 15-metre swimming pool and of course, all that open space.

When we visited the school was just opening a smart new Cricket Pavilion. Girls and boys all play cricket, football and hockey with girls playing netball and boys playing rugby too.

Sport is integrated into everyday life at Vinehall, with opportunities to compete in team and individual sports as well as lessons and clubs covering everything from gymnastics and judo to badminton and cross-country running (which pupils seem to love).

Given the onsite pool, which is also used by the local community, it’s not a surprise to learn that swimming is a big strength. All children – from Kindergarten age up until Year 5 – have swimming in their weekly timetable.

CREATIVE ARTS (MUSIC, ART & DRAMA)

DRAMA at Vinehall is popular and Vinehall’s theatre is a wonderful asset, a really functional and professional space with room to sit 270 (pictured above). It’s used for the numerous school productions as well as for drama, speech and musical performances. Pupils can also learn backstage skills like lighting and sound. There’s also a dance studio.

All pupils are encouraged to get involved in everything from public speaking to poetry recitals so they learn to build confidence in front of a crowd.

Kids and parents alike will be happy with the dedicated MUSIC department consisting of practice rooms and opportunities to learn instruments, with numerous groups on offer ranging from Chamber Choir and acapella to string quartets, swing band and an orchestra.

The ART & Design Technology are impressive – in fact DT is referred to as ‘Carpentry’ up until Year 4 as it’s all the practical, hands on stuff (non of that boring theory).

ACADEMICS

Class sizes hover around 15. Although academically non-selective, Vinehall certainly pulls its weight, sending pupils on to destinations ranging from the local haunts (Brighton College, Eastbourne College, Ardingly College, Battle Abbey and Benenden to name but a few) to the prestigious likes of Tonbridge and Eton.

The school has a strong focus on academic innovation, recognising that in an age of Google, knowledge is only ever a search bar away and it’s the skills and qualities of resilience, collaboration, courage, reflection and critical thinking that form the basis of real learning. In that same vein, this school takes a fairly low-tech approach, encouraging children to be children for as long as possible.

Computing facilities aside, there are individual iPads and Chromebooks available for the children but no one-to-one devices currently and mobile phones aren’t allowed (hurrah). Embracing ed tech is the next area of focus for the school, but developments will be based on research and evidence, not fads.

OUTDOOR LEARNING

The school is framed by woodland and pupils make use of this in many ways. From the Mountain Bike Trail between the trees to the Forest School and an Outdoor Classroom where lessons will actually take place in this different environment.

Forest School boasts its own parachute and camp fire, there’s a snazzy zip-wire (it’s for children only sadly), Junior adventure play area and fishing lake.

Vinehall even has its own horticulturalist – who gained their experience at Cornwall’s famous Eden Project – and they oversee everything from the raised beds, gardens and orchards to the sustainability strategies and bee keeping.

WELLBEING AND PASTORAL CARE

Pastoral care is strong for boarders and day pupils alike, with access to counsellors as well as support from the pastoral team. The pastoral structure is built around the relationship between children and their Form Tutors, who they spend time with each morning and provide the first port of call for all academic and wellbeing needs.

Children are taught everything from Mindfulness to Life Skills – so they aren’t just enjoying the benefits of their East Sussex bubble, but come out as rounded individuals who are equipped for the real world.

With a husband and wife team at the helm – Joff Powis is Headmaster (see below) and his wife, Liz, is the Admissions Coordinator – there is very much a family feel running through the veins of this school.

WRAP AROUND CARE & BOARDING

The vast majority of day children live locally – within 30 minutes of the school plus they also have a number of weekly boarders who live around one hour from the school and make use of the boarding facilities during the week.

The lovely, and extremely tidy, boys and girls dorms sit at the top of the main school building alongside ‘Hurricanes’, a chilled-out common room space. Boarders are a mix of Full, Weekly and Flexi and come from the UK and overseas, the latter adding diversity to this rural East Sussex school.

The flexi arrangement seems truly flexible, too, and has been set up to meet the needs of local families who could benefit from childcare every now and again – this includes late notice boarding.

Full boarders also get ‘Golden Tickets’ to invite friends to stay over free of charge. There’s a range of trips and activities on offer and, of course, boarders also get to enjoy the school site at weekends, whether that’s razzing around on their mountain bikes, splashing about in the swimming pool or just playing in the woods.

Boarders also enjoy a range of trips, which the day children are also invited to sign up for. These include days out in London, visiting Westminster Abbey or Hampton Court Palace, as well as days spent closer to home, such as a winter walk in the Hundred Acre Wood or kite-flying at Camber Sands.

Exeats take place every two or three weeks, and full boarders can always go home for family birthdays or events.

THE HEAD

Having been in post since 2017, Joff Powis has had plenty of time to bring his ethos to Vinehall and this seems most evident in two areas; the friendly, family feel of the school, and the focus on carefully thought-through academic innovation.

Vinehall is Powis’ first co-ed school and he says he was drawn to leave all-boys schools after observing his own four sons, who were also in single-sex education. He’s now convinced of the benefits of co-ed settings.

This openness to change and embracing the modern world seems a defining characteristic, as he’s keenly aware of the need to keep his school moving with the times in an evidence-based manner. He’s a passionate advocate of childhood, and with Vinehall, he has a setting that can truly allow children to be children.

He’s also a strong proponent of the prep school model and the benefits of year 7 and 8 pupils remaining in a smaller setting whilst they navigate the complexities of early adolescence.

LITTLIES

Housed in their own separate building the Nursery and Pre-Prep offers a wrap around, 50 week provision. For Nursery children from 2-3 years of age, this runs from 8am to 5.30pm all year round. For children from 3-7 years of age, this runs from 8am to 6pm during term time, and from 8am to 5.30pm during the holidays. Holiday club provides a hot lunch and a high tea.

The building itself has its own hall, garden and outdoor play area, on top of the required free-flow outdoor space for early years. There’s space aplenty in the bright, stimulating and inviting rooms and plans are afoot to investigate the feasibility of taking babies and toddlers as well as the current intake of children aged 2+. For the younger ones, there’s dedicated space for nap time in a quiet and cosy corner.

USP & QUIRKS

Post-exams, pupils in Year 8 are given a send-off to remember with a Leavers Programme, which consists of several weeks devoted to pure fun. Children get to have wonderful trips and adventures, including everything from punting in Cambridge to go-karting, from rounders games against the parents to trips to Alton Towers.

Now here’s one fabulous feature, that sums up this school… There are no lists of prefects or scholars lining the oak panelled walls. Instead, all Leavers get to make their own ‘Vinehall Shield’ commemorating their time at the school and their individual achievements.

Two versions are made: one which they keep, the other is kept by the school with each and every one being displayed around the corridors (pictured above). Look carefully and you can find three rather famous names up there, from the band Keane.

Lead singer, Tom Chaplin, attended Vinehall School in Robertsbridge, where his father was headmaster. While there, he befriended Tim Rice-Oxley and Richard Hughes. The three then attended Tonbridge School, where they met future bandmate Dominic Scott.

WORD ON THE GROUND

A young child looking through a magnifying glass at Vinehall School

Pupils feel valued and respected at Vinehall, and have plenty of opportunities to have their say and get involved. They love the family feel and supportive setup and unsurprisingly, they also love the open space, the freedom to play and the zip wire. Boarders describe their setup as like a big fun sleepover with friends. The staff also talk about how friendly and welcoming the school is, and how they feel a valued part of the school community.

FEES

Full Day in the Nursery is £72 session (Morning sessions are also available at £45) excluding Early Years Funding. In the Pre-Prep, Reception is £3,950 per term, Year 1 £4,150 and Year 2 £4,450.

In Prep, day fees start at £6,450 in Year 3 and gradually rise up to £7,660 for Years 6 to 8. Full boarding is £10,575 and Weekly Boarding is £9,515 per term. Flexi boarding is £45 per session (for 24 hours from Year 3 upwards).

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Mobile phones aren’t allowed. Boarders have access to their phones to contact family.

TRANSPORT

Minibusses service the local area including Hastings, Eastbourne, Wadhurst, Flimwell, Winchelsea and Mayfield.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Children who love the outdoors and like getting stuck in. They’ll be allowed to be kids, but they won’t be bubble-wrapped.

Not for: Those who prefer a town-centre campus or have precocious kids who are raring to move up at Year 7.

Go see for yourself: Contact the school to book a private tour.

Vinehall School, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5JL, 01580 880 413

Vinehall School, Robertsbridge

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